Belgium launched an investigation into the activities Russian “spy ship” was noticed in November in the areas where they are located wind farmsunderwater pipelines natural gas and telecommunications cables, said North Sea Minister Vincent van Kuikenborn.

“We do not know the exact motives of the Russian ship, but we are not naive. Especially if it turns out to be suspiciously close to our wind farms, gas pipelines, submarine cables and other critical infrastructure,” the statement said. “We are taking the necessary measures to ensure the security” of these infrastructures, he assured.

“The passage of this ship is undoubtedly part of the wider context of the war in Ukraine,” he said.

“Given the suspicious attitude of the ship, which was sailing without AIS (Automatic Identification System), a mandatory security system that allows automatic identification of ships,” the minister added.

The same ship was seen in the Netherlands.

The same vessel has already been spotted in the territorial waters of the Netherlands, the Dutch military intelligence and security agency (MIVD) said on Monday.

The ship entered Dutch territorial waters “during the last few months” before being spotted and “escorted by the Dutch coast guard and navy,” Swillens told reporters.

“What we have seen in recent months is that Russian actors are trying to understand how the energy supply of the North Sea is organized, with the intention of disrupting it,” the interior minister added.

“The attempt failed,” he said, without going into details.

“Whatever the outcome of the war in Ukraine, Russia is likely to remain a threat to the Netherlands in the long term,” the Dutch intelligence services said in a report released on Monday.

^{According to APE – BEE, AFP}